Machine for producing collapsible metal tubes



Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,717

A R. T. MCGEE MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CO'LLAPSIBLE METAL TUBES IQL. 'I

.' //orwey sept. s; 192s. -1,552,717

R. T. MCGEE MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COLLAPSIBLE METAL TUBES Filed Juns 15. 1921 5 Sheqtsf-Shet' f3 WIN 5 H11 il IQQ.

/Q/porwey Sept s, 1925; 1,552,711

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R. T. MCGEE MACHINE FUR'PRODUCING COLLAPSIBLE METAL TUBES Filed June 15, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.v

RICHARD T. MCGEE, F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COLLAPSIBLE METAL TUBES.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1921. Serial' Io. 477,751..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD T. MCGEE,

a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Wheeling, county of Ohio, 6 and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines Afor Producing Collapsible Metal Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to presses for the formation of collapsible metal tubes. The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine for the manufacture of metal tubes of the collapsible type commonly employed vas containers for pastes, paints,

and the like, such machine being wholly automatic throughout, requiring no further attendance from the operator than to` keep an adequate supply of blanks within a hopper associated with the machine.

A further object is to provide, in a machine of the character mentioned, means whereby the formed tubes are stripped from the forming punches in such manner as to preclude the possibility of their being injured or distorted in the manner of tubes which are violently thrust from the punches by air pressure or other similar means.

With these and other objects in view, 'the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in broken section, of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a substantially central vertical section of the same;

Figure 4 is a top plan view;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View in elevation of the blank-carrying lingers;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the blankdelivery mechanism associated with said blank-carrying fingers;

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the same;

Figure 8 is atop plan view of the same;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, in perspective, of the upper end of the blank-.elevating plunger;

Figure 10 is an enlarged top plan view of the tube-stripping device; and- Figure 11 is a side elevation of the same.

vmembers or standards 10 Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views- 1 indicates a crank-shaft mounted in bearings 2 carried by a suitable base or subframe 3, said shaft being driven in any suitable manner, as by a worm 4 carried by a drive-shaft 5 and disposed in mesh with a worm-gear 6 carried by said crank-shaft. A connecting rod 7 interposed between said crank-shaft and a cross-head slide 8 serves to impart to the latter vertical reciprocating movement, sleeve-like members 9 carried by said slide being disposed for sliding movement on two pairs of vertical frame carried by said sub-frame 3.

The slide 8 has a horizontal head portion 12, hereinafter termed the cross-slide, upon which is mounted one or more die-shoes 13, two such shoes being herein shown. Secured in each shoe by means of ring nuts 14 is a die 15 within which is deposited the disk-like metal blanks 11 to be acted upon and which co-operate with vertical forming punches 16 for extruding the metal of the lanks into collapsible tube form, as will be explained hereinafter.

The punches 16 are rigidly supported by tubular holders 17 which are adjustably mounted in a rocker.-like crosshead 18 havin trunnions 19 journaled in bearings pro- Vied therefor in supports 20 carried stationarily upon the upper ends of the standards 10.

Mounted upon a laterally extending arm 21 carried by one ofthe standards 10 is a hopper 22 desi ned for the reception of a large number o? blanks 11. Bolted to a side of said hopper are lugs or ears 23 formed on an end of a chute through which blanks from said hopper travel to a delivery position, said chute comprising a vertically disposed plate 24 located rearward of the standards land having angle-bars 25 bolted to the opposite sides of the upper edge thereof to form a pair of parallel runways 26 and 27 adapted for the reception in edgewise position of the disk-like blanks and through which said blanks may travel by gravity, said runways being inclined downwardly from the hopper. Located in register with the adjacent ends of said runways 26 and 27 are apertures or ports 28 provided in the side of said hopper.

The hopper has two of its opposite sides inclined inward intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and thence extending downward vertically in more or less closely adjacent relation, as shown in Fig. 2, to form a throat portion 22a of restricted width. Disposed for vertical reciprocation through said throat is a piston-like plunger 93 whereby blanks within the hopper are collected and elevated within the hopper at definite intervals and are positioned at the ports 28 for passage through the latter to the runways 26 and 27. Said plunger consists of a heavy plate having formed in its upper edge a pair of narrow longitudinally extending channels 29 spaced apart to correspond with the relative spacing of the runways 26 and 27, the upper edges of the walls dening said channels" being beveled, as shown in Fig. 9, so that as the piston is elevated through the mass of blanks, only those blanks which are received in vertical edgewise position in said channels will be carried upward by the plunger.

Mounted upon the front face of the plate 24 in underlying relation to the discharge end of the runway 26 is the upper end of a vertically disposed bar 30, and a similar bar 31 is mounted on said plate parallel to the bar to provide an intermediate vertical channel or passageway 32 having a width adapted for the reception of blanks which pass thereto from said runway. Similarly related bars 33 and 34 are fixed on the plate 24 to form a passageway 35 Vfor receiving blanks from the runway 27, which latter is of greater length than the runway 26, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The bars 33 and 34 and a suitable backing 24 therefor are bent intermediate their ends, as is most clearl shown in Fig. 7, so that, the lower, or de ive end of the passageway 35 is disposed in the same vertical plane with the passageway 32.

Pivotally mounted upon the plate 24 below the end of each of the passageways 32 and 35 is a pair of oppositely disposed dogs 36 having downwardly and outwardly inclined lower end portions and which are jnormally held by springs 37 in inwardly thrust opposing relation in which horns formed thereon underlie the lowermost of the blanks contained in the adjacent passageway :for supporting said blanks. A vertically disposed strip 38 is supported in front of each of said passageways whereby thevblanks delivered to the latter are maintained therein in vertical edgewise position. Said strip carries one or more forwardly. directed pins 39 which are adjustably mounted in supporting brackets 40 mounted upon one of the adjacent channeldeinin bars and which have set-screws 41 direc therethrough into impinging relation to said pins for securing the strip 38 in place, said strip being thus rendered adjustable to provide for the accommodation in the passageway of blanks of varying thicknesses.

A shaft 42 journaled in brackets 43 carried on the rear side of the cross-slide 12 has fixed thereon a pair of collar-like members 44, each of which has pivotally mounted thereon a pair of lingers 45 which together constitute a blank-carrier and which, in the normal position of said shaft, are supported in vertical position against the front face of the plate 24 with their upper ends directly underlying the lower inclined ends of the dogs 36. y

The fingers composing each blank-carrier have a limited range of relative separating or spreading movement, a retractile coil spring 46 connecting said iingers and normally holding the latter in relatively indrawn positions on opposite sides of a bracelug 44a carried by the member- 44. Curved recesses are provided in opposing relation in the eXtreme upper end portions of the adj acent edges of said fingers, the same con- Ajointly forming a carrier pocket 47 within which a blank may be received and held for transferal from the adjacent passageway to one of the dies 15. A curved inwardly directed nose formed on the extreme upper end of each linger slightly overlies the upper .edge of a blank received in said carrier pocket and is also adapted, when the carrier is elevated through upward movement of the cross-slide 12, to engage the lower inclined end of the adjacent dog 36 for thrusting the latter outward against the tension of the spring 37 for releasing the overlying blank.

'llo provide for the slight separation of the fingers of each carrier necessary to admit the released blank to the carrier pocket, a spreader block 48 is adjustably mounted upon the plate 24 in a position in which it lies between said lingers when the latter occupy their upright position. Said block has its under side beveled to co-operate with inclined faces 49 formed on the adjacent edges of the :fingers 45 when the latter are elevated, whereby said fingers are spread apart into blank-receiving position at the same instant that the dogs 36 are actuated for withdrawing the horns thereof from. supporting relation to the column of blanks disposed in the overlying passageway. Obviously, the lingers are permitted to close upon the received blank in the initial part of the lowering movement of the carrier, and the dogs are simultaneously actuated to close into supporting relation to the next above blank in the passageway.

Carried by the standards at one side is a bracket 50 which has an outstanding arm or pivot-pin 51 upon which is pivotally mounted an intermediate portion of a lever 52. In the elevated position of the crossslide, said lever 52 occupies an approximately vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2. Provided in the lower end portion of said lever is an angular slot 53 having its upper arm extending longitudinally of the lever and its lower arm downwardly and forwardly inclined. Received in said slot is an anti-friction roller 54 carried by the outer end of a pin 55 which is mounted in a supporting bracket 56 carried on the adjacent side of the cross-slide 12. The upper end portion of said lever has therein a longitudinal slot 57 in which is received a wristpin 58 carried by a crank arm 59 fixed upon the adjacent trunnion 19 of the crosshead or rocker* 18.

As the cross-slide is lowered from its elevated pressing position, the lever 52 is actuated, through movement of the pin 55 into and along the inclined arm of the slot 53 thereof, to swing upon its pivot-pin 51 to an inclined position in which the crank arm 59 is swung forward. This forward swinging movement of said crank arm effects, through intermediate mechanism, forward rotary movement of the shaft 42 whereby the blank carriers are swung from their upright blank-receiving positions, shown in F1gs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, to the horizontal blankdelivery position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, inwhich they directly overlie the dies 15. As veach of said blank carriers closely approaches its delivery position, the fingers 45 thereof engage opposite sides of an adjustable upright cone-headed bolt 61 carried by the cross-slide 12, by which said fingers are caused to separate for releasingI the thereby-carried blank, which blank is at the moment positioned vfor deposit within the die 15. i

The mechanism by which the shaft 42 is rotated forward, as aforesaid, comprises an inclined rod 60 which has one end loosely mounted upon the wrist-pin 58 of the crank arm 59. The opposite end portion of said rod is supported by a sleeve 91 which loosely embraces it, said sleeve being pivotally carried bya crank arm 62 fixed on the shaft 42. Spiral rod-encircling springs 63 and 64 are interposed between the opposite ends of said sleeve and collars 65 and 66 which are adjustably mounted on said rod on opposite sides of the sleeve. As is manifest, when the crank arm 59 is swung forward, it draws the rod 60 therewith and, through the crank arm 62, effects rotation of the shaft 42. The springs 63 and 64 permit a limited range of movement of the rod 60 with respect to the sleeve 91, thus obviating the necessity for the close adjustment which would other wise be required to'provide for the precise positioning of the blank-carrying fingers at the opposite limits of their travel.

- As is obvious, when the cross-slide is elevated following the deposit of blanks in the dies, the lever 52 is actuated to swin back f rom its inclined position to its vertica position, carrying therewith the crank arm 59, and, through the intermediate mechanism described, returning the blank carriers to their upright blank-receiving positions.

Rigidly mounted upon the rocker 18 are the upper end portions of two brackets 67 which, in the normal position of said rocker, are vertically disposed. Each of said brackets has two vertically alined bearings 68 and 69 in which is mounted a longitudinally slidable rod 70; and pivotally carried upon the lower end of each of said rods is a. device by means of which collapsible tubes carried by the adjacent punch 16 following the pressing operations are automatically stripped from said punch. Said stripping device belongs in the category of grasping implements or tongs, comprising a pair of crossed members 71 having jaws 72 at one end shaped for conformably embracing .the mouth end of the tube upon which they are to act. Suitable yielding means, as a spring 73 carried by an end of a pin 95 passed .through said members 71, normally maintains said members in positions in which their said jaws occupy (3o-operativeA gripping relation, as shown in Fig. 10.

When the crank arm 59 is rotated forward in the manner hereinbefore described, it rotates the rocker 18 back to a position in which the punches 16 and brackets 67 are swunof forward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. It being understood 'that the crank arm 59 is not rotated forward until during the latter part of the descending movement of the cross-slide 12, it is obvious that the dies 15 will have been withdrawn to an extent that the unches are freed prior to actuation thereofp through the intermediacy of the crank arm, as aforesaid.

Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a bracket 92 carried on the rear side of the rocker 18 is a lever 74 which normally occupies an inclined position. The upper, or front, end of said lever has a short longitudinal slot 75 therein, andreceived within said slot is a pivot-pin 76 carried by depend- -ing lugs 77 formed on the under side of a horizontal yoke 78 which has its opposite ends adjustably mounted upon the vertical rods 70. The Aopposite end of said lever has a laterally directed pin 79 received within a slot or guideway 80 provided in a guide member 81 which is carried by, or formed integral with, a bracket arm 82 mounted upon one of the standards 10. Said guideway has the front portion thereof extending in a substantially horizontal direction, while the rear end portion thereof is upwardly and rearwardly inclined.

In the upright, or normal, position of the rocker 18, the lever 74 is supported in a more or less sharply inclined position, being held in such position by the pin 79 thereof which is then received in the inclined rear end portion o-f the guideway 80. In such position of the lever 74, the yoke 78 and thetherebysupported rods are held by said lever in an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 3, in which each of the tube-stripping devices carried by said rods has the crossed members 71 thereof occupying spread relation with their jaws 72 separated and occupying positions at opposite sides of, and out of engagement with, the adjacent punch 16. The means Aby which said members 71 are held in said relation consists of a vertically adjustable cone-headed bolt 83 carried on the under side of the bracket 67 by which said rods' 70 are carried, the cone head of said bolt being received between said members at that side of their pivotal mounting opposite their jaws. For facilitating the entrance of said cone head between said members, a conical socket 84 is formed by providing complemental oppositely facing recesses in the adjacent, or inner, faces of said members, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

j When in the forward rocking movement of the rocker 18, the lever 74 is advanced to a point where its pin 79 enters the horizontal portion of the guideway 80, its front end commences to descend, carrying downward therewith the yoke 78, the rods 70, and the stripping devices carried by said rods. As

said parts descend, the stripping devices are' gradually withdrawn from. engagement with the bolts 83, allowing the jaws 72 to close upon and to yieldingly grip the tubes then carried by t e punches 16. As forward swinging of the .parts continues, the lowering movement of the lfront end of said lever 74 is continued, producing, through the intermediate parts, continuous travel of the stripping devices and effecting the stripping from the punches of the formed tubes which are gripped between the jaws thereof. J ust prior to reaching the limit of the outward swinging movement of the parts, the outer ends of the stripping devices engage the points of adjustable bolts 85 mounted in an outstanding bracket arm 86 carried by a suitable part of the frame, said outer ends having tapered sockets 87 in which the points of said bolts 85 engage for spreading the jaws 72 suhiciently to effect release of the thereby-carried tubes.

As the cross-slide is again elevated, the rocker 18 is rotated back to its normal position for returning the thereby-carried parts to their normal positions.

For effecting reciprocation of the pistonlike plunger 93, a lever 88 having one end pivotally mounted upon the slide 8 is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a suitable support, as the supporting stand 89, and has its opposite end connected to the lower end of said plunger by means of a substantially upright link 90. As is obvious, said plunger is actuated through the mechanism described to reciprocate with each reciprocation of the slide 8.

From the foregoing it will be understood that, as the cross-slide is elevated, the punches 16 and the tube-stripping mechanism carried by the rocker 18 are swung 1nward from the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 3 to their normal vertical positions, and that, during such movement, the lever 74 is swung back to its normal inclined position, elevating the stripping devices to a point wherein the jaws 72 of the members 71 thereof are opened or separated sufficiently to permit of their being slipped over the punches without engaging the latter. The resumption of the normal positions of said parts is effected prior to the completion of the elevating movement of the cross-slide,

so that the punches act upon the blanks 11 carried by the dies 15 for producing tubes during the* final part of said movement. Also, during said upward movement of the cross-slide the fingers 45 of the blank carriers are elevated from their horizontal blank-delivery positions, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to their upright positions, and, during the final part of said movement, said fingers are lelevated to a position in which they receive blanks from the passageways 32 and 35 for transferal to the dies.

During the last half of the desc/ent of the cross-slide, following the pressing operation, the rocker 18 is actuated toswing the punches and the tube-stripping mecha/- nism forward, and, in the forward swinging movement, the stripping members carried by the then descending rods 70 'are permitted to close into gripping relation to the tubes carried by the punches and, continuing their descent, to effect stripping of the tubes from the punches. Being opened momentarily at the end `of the forward swinging movement, the stripping members release said tubes, allowing the latter to drop from their grasp. As the parts mentioned are swung forward, as aforesaid, the blank carriers, which travel up and down with the cross-slide, are swung forward to horizontal position for depositing the thereby-carried blanks in the dies. Also, at the same time, the plunger is elevated within the hopper, carrying blanks to positions in which they may enter the runways 26 and 27 through the ports 28. 4

What is claimed is- 1, A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a vertically reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, automatic means for depositing blanks in said dies, punches arranged to co-operate with said dies for pressing said blanks into tube form, means for swinging said punches from the tube-forming position, and automatic tube-gripping mechanism adapted to be actuated during swinging movement ofthe punches for stripping formed tubes from said punches.

2. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, means for automatically depositing blanks in said dies, punches arranged to co-operate with said dies for pressing said blanks into tube form, means for swinging said punches outward from their operative position, and automatic means actuated during said swinging movement whereby formed tubes are stripped from said punches.

3. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, automatic means for depositing blanks in said dies, punches arranged to co-operate with said dies for pressin said blanks into tube form, means for swmging said punches outward from their operative position, means for gripping formed tubes carried by said punches, and means actuating said gripping means to strip said tubes from said punches during the swinging movement.

4. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide,means fordepositing blanks in said dies, a rocker member, punches depending from said member for cooperating with said dies to press said blanks into tube form, means for actuating said member to rock forward for swinging said punches outward from their operative positions, and means whereby formed tubes are stripped from' said punches.

5. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a vertically reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, means actuated by descent of said slide whereby blanks are deposited in said dies, punches arranged to co-operate with said dies for pressing said blanks into tube form, means for swinging punches laterally from .tubeforming position, and tube-gripping means for stripping the formed tubes from said punches when the latter have been actuated to move from tube-forming position.

6. A machine :for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a vertically reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, means for depositing blanks in said dies, a rocker member, punches carried by said member for co-opcrating with said dies to press said blanks into tube form, means actuated by said slide whereby said member is rocked to and from its operative position for swinging saidpunches to and from their operative positions, respectively, during a complete reciprocation of said slide.

7. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a vertically reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, means for depositing blanks in said dies, a rocker member, punches depending from said member for co-operating with said dies to press said blanks into tube form, means actuated by movement of said slide whereby said member is rocked to and from its normal position for swinging said punches to and from their operative positions, respectively, durlng a complete reciprocation of said slide, and-means for stripping formed tubes from said punches.

' 8. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a vertically reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, means for depositing blanks in said dies, a rocker member, punches depending from said member and adapted to co-operate with said dies for pressing said blanks into tube form, means actuated by movement of said slide whereby said member is rocked to and from its normal position for swinging said punches to and from their operative positions, respectively, during a complete reciprocation of said slide, and means for gripping formed tubes carried by said punches, and means whereby said gripping means are actuated to etl'ect stripping of said tubes from the punches.

9. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, a rocker having a horizontal axis, punches carried by said .rocker and normally disposed to co-operate with said slide whereby blanks in said dies are pressed into tube form, means actuated by said slide whereby said rocker is rotated on its axis for swinging said punches from their operative positions, and means for stripping formed tubes from said punches during said swinging movement.

10. A machine -for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a reciprocating press-slide, dies carried by said slide, a rocker having a horizontal axis, punches carried by said rocker and normally disposed to co-operate with said slide whereby blanks in said dies are pressed into tube form, means actuated by movement of said slide whereby said rocker is rotated on its axis for swinging said punches from their operative positions, a pair of co-operating gripping members whereby, formed tubes carried by said Apunches are grasped, and means whereby said members are shifted longitudinally of the punches for stripping the grasped tubes from the latter.

11. A machine for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a press-slide, dies carried by said slide, punches arranged to co-operate with said dies for pressing into tube form blanks carried by the latter, carriers movable upon a horizontal axis and arranged to be swung into and out of overlying relation to said dies for depositing blanks in the latter, and automatic means for delivering blanks to said carriers.

12. A machine4 for producing collapsible tubes, comprising a press-slide, dies carried by said slide, punches arranged to co-operate with said slide for pressing into tube form blanks carried by said dies, normally upright blank-carrying members movable upon a horizontal axis into and out of blankdelivering relation to said dies, and means whereby blanks are furnished to said members during each tube-pressing movement of the slide.

13. A machine or producing collapsible tubes, comprising a press-slide, dies carried by said slide, punches arranged to co-operate with said slide for pressing into.tube form blanks carried by said dies, carriers for depositing blanks in said dies, and mechanism for delivering blanks to said carriers,

said mechanism including parts having passageways through which the blanks are advanced in succession, and vertically disposed pivoted members normally maintaining the outlets oi said passageways closed, said carriers being adapted in the final part of the tube-pressing movement to shift said members for releasing blanks.

14. In a machine forproducing collaps- Y ible tubes, the combination with a reciproy eating press-slide having dies mounted thereon, and punches for cooperating with said dies to press blanks into tube form, of a hopper for blanks, passageways for blanks leading from' said hopper, means normally closing the outlets of said passageways, a pair of co-operating fingers movable with said press-slide, said fingers being adapted to actuate said closing means to deliver thereto the foremost blanks in said passage- Ways, and means for actuating said lingers go deposit the thereby-carried blanks to said 15. In combination in a forging press, a die member, a punch cooperating therewith, gripping jaws normally out of contact with the article formed but adapted to positively grip the same, and means for periodically actluating said jaws to grip the formed artic e.

16. In combination in an extrusion press, a die member, a punch cooperating therewith, gripping jaws normally disposed out of the path of travel of the punch but adapted to positively grip the article formed around said punch, and means controlled by movement of the press and urging the jaws into contact With the formed article.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

RICHARD T. MCGEE. 

